Set up a reminder “I am wonderful”

Summer is here, and while we are planning our holidays, I asked the scientists in our group what they feel proud of. The small yet important wins in our careers are incredibly important. Below, you will find their answers by category. 

Continuing education and growth

"I am proud that during the lockdown I learned single-cell RNA sequencing data, which resulted in a 1^st - author paper for me!" Kiki Barmpa

"In the middle of the pandemic, I graduated with a degree in medical devices, and this led to securing a job at a company that produces medical devices. Feels like a success story! " Aggeliki Chanteli

"I am proud that I can now treat patients in the emergency department as well as actively participate in surgeries for Head and Neck tumors, trauma head injuries, and reconstructive-cosmetic facial surgery!” Katerina Bobota

"I am proud that I continue learning and that I have designed and taught my first Master's class about data science." Danae Korre
 

Setting limits, especially in relation to personal time

"I am proud that I no longer work in the afternoons and weekends, and because my current job does not entail daily frustration, but immediate reward." Maria Vlastara

"It took me a long time to set limits, and now my personal life is a priority over my career." Tatiana Styliari

"I am proud to say 'no' more often every year to protect my mental health and personal time." Georgia Paraskaki
 

Contribution to a good cause

"That I find time and energy to work together and learn daily from wonderful and strong women who are examples of solidarity and support." Chrysovalantou Kalaitzidou

"I am proud that through my job, I help shape the next generation of engineers while at the same time I get to save our planet." Kelly Kousi

"That I am able to share my knowledge with students in the laboratory and offer them a more positive experience in research, avoiding as much as possible what frustrated me when I was in their position." Georgia Paraskaki
 

Believing in yourself and your ideas

"I insisted on starting a project that no one believed in and no one in my team knew how to do it. I found out and set it up myself, with help from my friends, and in the end, I was right about it because it was directly relevant to the disease I am studying." Myrto Patraskaki

"I am proud that I managed to run and optimize the FACS* technique for the first time in my laboratory after 4 months of continuous problems and minimal support from my team. So, I can now proceed with the omics experiments I need! " Maria Koumouri

"That I stepped out of my comfort zone in academia to move to a highly competitive industry environment, being one of the few women in a senior position in a male-dominated area." Katerina Britzolaki

As for me, "For the first time in my life, for the last 3 months, I do not reply to professional e-mails on the weekend (although I often see them)". 

How about we all do this as homework from time to time and find something worth giving ourselves kudos for?

*Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) is a technique to purify specific cell populations based on phenotypes detected by flow cytometry.